“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 40 of “Can Strategists Not Ascend to the Throne?” kicked off with the tall green hills of Mang Mountain looming in the distance and the distant sounds of carriages. Qiao Yan was riding through the northern troops, lost in thought, when she recalled a nursery rhyme from the chaotic last days of Liu Hong’s rule that echoed in the streets of Luoyang: “Not a marquis, not a king, a thousand horses and ten thousand horses headed for Beiman.”
But the Han Imperial Family hadn’t hit complete chaos yet; the Northern troops around her still followed the commands of the Son of Heaven, Liu Hong.
Her caravan, heading towards Leping for Qiao Xuan’s funeral, certainly wasn’t a scene of fleeing chaos, like that nursery rhyme suggested.
She looked up and saw the lush vegetation lining the path up Mang Mountain, giving it an oddly solemn atmosphere, likely due to the many imperial tombs scattered in the mountains.
Bao Hong, the captain of the northern troops, marched alongside, keeping watch over this escort mission.
Noticing Qiao Yan’s interest in the surroundings, he chimed in, “Mang Mountain serves as a shield to the north of Luoyang. The Luoyang troops have always patrolled these mountains, so don’t worry, Lady Qiao. Though the terrain is steep, it’s completely safe.”
Qiao Yan replied, “It’s not the safety of this journey I fret over. With General Bao here and the northern soldiers alongside, I expect we’ll get through unscathed. My only concern is—”
“Ever since the great Emperor Guangwu was buried here due to Feng Chao Long Xue’s tales, other emperors like Emperor Xu’an and Emperor Chong have also been interred here. My grandfather was cautious during his life and left no surplus wealth, and now we use the ‘shackled horse-drawn carriage,’ with its yellow canopy. It could be seen as a slight to those emperors. A thought that makes me a little anxious.”
Bao Hong laughed, “Your cautious nature truly follows in the footsteps of your ancestor. But since this was a special honor from His Majesty, I doubt the resting emperors would take offense.”
As he said this, he glanced back, a twinge of envy creeping into his expression.
What’s a ‘shackled horse-drawn carriage,’ you ask? It’s a special carriage that allows you to lie down while traveling, equipped to adjust for comfort. Qin Shi Huang himself rode this on eastern tours.
This particular carriage, designated for burial rites, was drawn by four horses and was topped with a layered yellow canopy, topped on the left side with the emblem of a yak tail.
But seriously, this level of funeral pomp wasn’t overstepping the mark. Loyal Marquis Wu Han, ranked second among the 28 generals of Yuntai, was laid to rest that way too.
However, Wu Han hailed from Nanyang—not like Qiao Xuan, who had to travel north, passing through Mang Mountain.
And with such a funeral caravan, they wouldn’t disband until they reached Leping, making sure all along the line knew how graciously the current emperor treated Qiao Xuan.
This made it hard for Bao Hong not to feel envious.
But for another member of the entourage, such grandeur seemed just right for Qiao Xuan.
“In his day, Qiao Gong led armies from Bingzhou with such majesty, he undoubtedly deserves this grand send-off,” remarked Cai Yong, openly critiquing the impressive procession.
He had no qualms about sharing his thoughts, even at Qiao Xuan’s funeral.
Cai Yan winced internally at his comments, banking on how those who hold sway in Luoyang tend to have ears everywhere.
No wonder this fellow ultimately met his demise in prison back in Luoyang.
Fortunately, Cai Yong had vowed to write Qiao Xuan’s epitaph, so he brought along Cai Zhaoji to join the journey to Leping for a bit, ensuring he wouldn’t face the angry glares of potential enemies back in Luoyang.
Not to mention, Qiao Yan felt it unnecessary to turn down Cai Yong’s offer. Considering his prestigious status in literature and calligraphy, and having his daughter along, she couldn’t let them slip through her fingers while needing both their talents for where her plans for Leping stood.
If only Cai Yong’s eldest daughter, Cai Zhenji, hadn’t married Yang Xuan when her father had taken refuge with the Yang clan on Mount Tai; she’d have surely contributed to the journey too.
But having Cai Yong with her would suffice. If he stayed behind in Luoyang, his clumsy political maneuvering could land him in hot water.
When he was exiled to Shuo Fang, someone had intervened on his behalf to save him from the death penalty. He still held a position then, making it easier to plead his case to Liu Hong.
Now, he had become just a nobody tied to the Yang clan, if he crossed any of the eunuchs, he might not even gain access to Emperor Liu Bian’s ear.
Escaping to Leping might also help him dodge enemies back in Luoyang.
As for Qiao Yan, she had another reason to support him. Having gained so much from Qiao Xuan, she couldn’t let an old friend come to harm while mourning a loss, so she felt obligated to help.
Cai Yong remained completely unaware that Qiao Yan, while casually chatting about the shrine being built for Qiao Xuan in Leping, had cleverly nudged him towards penning his own inscriptions, setting him off on another creative venture.
And why not? To him, crafting a memorial system that included Qiao Xuan’s epitaph, along with the inscriptions commemorating martial virtues, sounded particularly fulfilling.
Not to mention he’d get to write for Qiao Xuan!
Halfway through, his creativity blossomed, and he completed the draft for “Inscription of the Yellow Axe,” highlighting Qiao Xuan’s military feats with the line “Dignity resounded like a fierce fire.”
Cai Zhaoji grew a bit concerned about the consequences of her father’s insistence, interrupting Qiao Yan, “Pardon my intrusion, Lady Qiao, but my father has some lingering grudges in Bingzhou. Though you are settled in Leping, it could still affect you.”
Cai Zhaoji appeared much sharper than her father, whose brilliance was undermined by his lack of street smarts.
Thinking things through, she decided to lay out the facts for Qiao Yan, just to be on the safe side.
“My father received amnesty once before and should have returned to Luoyang from Wuyuan. However, during his farewell hosted by Governor Wang Zhi, my father disdained him during their dance, leading Wang Zhi to secretly inform the court of my father’s discontent, resulting in our flight to safety under the shelter of the Yang clan.”
Cai Zhaoji frowned, “I heard Governor Wang was killed by the fierce eunuch Wang Fu, and while the latter lost some resources, others among the eunuchs helped him maintain safety…”
“Should it be troublesome for you, I…”
“No worries. Governor Wang is Governor of Wuyuan, not Shangdang. Why should I worry?” Qiao Yan replied. “Besides, I am a County Marquis; everything in this county is under my control. Governor Wang has no right to meddle.”
Before Cai Zhaoji could respond further, Qiao Yan suddenly changed the subject, “By the way, I wanted to ask you something, Zhaoji. I met with Mr. Zigang in Ji Province before. He mentioned that he collaborated with Mr. Bojie on compiling ‘Records of the Eastern Observations of the Han.’ But as Mr. Bojie was exiled, they never finished it. Has there been any progress on that book in recent years?”
“Records of the Eastern Observations of the Han,” started writing by Ban Gu, has endured through countless dynasties as a historical compilation of the Eastern Han.
Naturally, literary giants like Cai Yong would have touched on it.
However, historically, Cai Yong was exiled, just before Dong Zhuo’s reign of chaos that caused most of the work to be lost during the transfer of the capital to Chang’an.
Qiao Yan had learned about this from later historical records and felt a pang of regret, sharing this opportunity to inquire about it.
But this wasn’t the only reason she diverted from Cai Zhaoji’s previous topic.
She had a hunch about what else was to come.
The outrage drawn by Cai Yong, as he stirred up issues with both Wang Fu and Wang Zhi, placed him at high risk.
While on his way to exile, he had the misfortune of being hunted by assassins, only saved because one showed pity and revealed the plot.
If Wang Zhi, who had not been in power long, could easily find trouble for him, who knew how things might go on the other side?
Had Cai Zhaoji not been right in front of her, Qiao Yan simply might have sighed and wondered aloud:
How on earth did Cai Yong manage to agitate enemies from both Wang Zhi and Wang Fu?
But on the other hand, he was a talented scholar in music, prose, and history, deserving of a warm welcome.
Such thoughts were best kept to herself.
If Wang Zhi truly sought trouble with him, Cai Zhaoji would not have feared any confrontation given her resolve, having escaped from a den of dragons and tigers in Luoyang.
With those thoughts, when Cai Zhaoji hinted at her concerns, Qiao Yan had already addressed them and moved on.
When Qiao Yan mentioned the “Records of the Eastern Observations of the Han,” Cai Zhaoji paused, recalling related information, and responded, “My father began this book before I was born. I only heard that when he was exiled, he wrote down the objectives for the last ten chapters, but he mostly only managed to get to Law and Music.”
This reply wasn’t a big surprise.
During his exile and escape, even with allies attempting to assist him, the atmosphere wasn’t conducive for a proper historical compilation.
This reinforced Qiao Yan’s desire to keep Cai Yong in Leping.
If the “Records of the Eastern Observations of the Han” could be pieced together, it would be a vital source for future studies on Eastern Han history, even standing with the “Records of History” and “Book of Han” as a triad of significant historical texts.
If the subsequent compilations hadn’t been directly impacted by conflict or the later widespread publication of “Book of the Later Han”…
Thinking this over, Qiao Yan decided Cai Yong’s blunt way of speaking wasn’t all that bad.
Her thoughts whirled but settled quickly. Before Cai Zhaoji could realize she zoned out, Qiao Yan quickly replied, “It’s quite an achievement for Mr. Bojie to have completed even two chapters during exile. I just hope the Emperor can recognize who’s worth listening to, and maybe we’ll see him return to the Eastern Observations soon.”
If he could return soon, that was easier said than done.
But somehow, even though Cai Zhaoji had known Qiao Yan for only a few days, she felt an unwavering sense of trust in her words.
During the rest of the journey north, as Cai Yong got to work on the initial draft for “Inscription of the Yellow Axe,” he called his daughter to help, leaving Cai Zhaoji with fewer chances to converse with Qiao Yan.
On the mountain roads, the shackled horse-drawn carriages moved slowly and cautiously until they finally sped up upon leaving the mountains.
After a while, they reached the Mengjin crossing on the Yellow River.
Not all the northern troops had to follow Qiao Yan to Leping, so the grand send-off ended there.
Only Captain Bao Hong and over 200 soldiers stayed behind to ensure Qiao Xuan’s body and the new County Marquis, Qiao Yan, reached their territory safely.
Once the rest of the northern soldiers withdrew, Bao Hong led his men to find a boat across the river, and before night fell, they made it into Jiyuan’s territory.
A group of over 200 was no small force; at least in this area, where few Yellow Turban remnants dared to cross, it was a fairly secure military presence.
That’s why after deliberating with Qiao Yan, Bao Hong decided not to enter the city but to camp outside.
However, Qiao Yan didn’t go to sleep right away.
From their current spot, with few tall buildings blocking the view, she could vaguely see the shadows of the Taihang Mountains rising to the north.
To clarify, the majority of the Taihang range lies mostly east of Bingzhou and west of Jizhou, and what she could see was merely the tail end stretching towards the south. This place also had another name, Zhongtiao Mountain, which connected further east to Wangwu Mountain from the legend of the Foolish Old Man who moved mountains.
This wasn’t a route without difficulties.
If it weren’t, the Taiyuan and Shangdang areas wouldn’t have the reputation of being a strategic stronghold, its inaccessibility defining its value.
That’s why in her camp, she utilized the system’s three-dimensional map function to carefully outline the route from here to Leping.
Then she summoned Dian Wei, Cheng Li, and Bao Hong to come in.
As soon as Bao Hong entered the tent, he gasped at the detailed sketch of the mountain passes and terrain Qiao Yan had drawn up.
But considering Qiao Yan was the granddaughter of Qiao Xuan, who once held the title of Grand Commandant with dominion over the military, it was no surprise she had such a map.
Only, this map looked freshly inked, almost like Qiao Yan had just committed it to memory.
That wasn’t a skill everyone possessed.
While Bao Hong’s eyes roamed over the map, Qiao Yan asked, “So, General Bao, we haven’t discussed the route yet. Which path do you plan to take to Leping?”
After studying the map for a moment, Bao Hong pointed, “Here.”
“We’re currently at Jiyang, so to travel swiftly, we should first head from Jiyuan to Qinyang, then onto the Taihang pass, moving towards Jin City, through Changzhi in Shangdang, and finally to Leping.”
The Taihang Eight Passes, where Taihang Pass served as the second pass.
On the map Qiao Yan drew, that certainly looked like the closest route.
But Bao Hong noticed Qiao Yan shaking her head, clearly disagreeing with his route.
She asked, “General Bao, are you aware that there’s still a remnant faction of the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou? After Zhang Jiao’s death, they were pursued by the northern lieutenant general and haven’t been caught yet?”
Bao Hong froze, “Zhang Jiao and his brothers were already crushed by Wang’s forces; how can there still be remnants on the run?”
Having spent time in Luoyang, he only knew about the two generals who quelled the uprising, unaware of the finer details beneath the surface.
Shortly, he heard Qiao Yan elaborate, “That group isn’t in Julu County; they gathered local youngsters to rebel after Zhang Jiao’s call to arms, numbering over ten thousand. After Zhang Jiao fell, some returned to their villages to live as good Han subjects, while others still wander the region.”
“So what about them now…?” Listening to Qiao Yan, Bao Hong suddenly realized he shouldn’t have hastily sent the northern troops back and should just stay with them instead.
If His Majesty were to ask, they had to provide a reasonable explanation regarding the wandering Yellow Turbans.
Qiao Yan’s next words raised his warning signs even further.
“These young bandits hail from Changshan County. When Zhang Jiao died and the northern general pursued them, they retreated towards their hometown. However, the might of the northern and left intermediate generals intimidated them, so they moved into the Taihang Mountains, operating between Fukou Pass and Jingxing, dubbing themselves the Black Mountain Bandits.”
“That’s why I assert that the route you previously charted is unwise.”
Bao Hong caught his breath.
Given that Fukou Pass links Shangdang and Anyang while Jingxing connects Leping with Zhen Ding, if he followed the original plan through Taihang Pass to Jin City and long through Changzhi to Leping, the stretch from Changzhi to Leping would likely lead directly into a trap set by the Black Mountain Bandits.
Since they remained active after Zhang Jiao’s death and the dissolution of the Way of Great Peace, they wouldn’t be pushovers.
Clearly, the route he initially chose couldn’t be taken!
“The issue isn’t whether we can take this road; the bigger problem is that there’s a gang of thieves hiding in the Taihang Mountains who are hard to spot, which complicates things for the county title Qiao Yan is heading to.”
Bao Hong didn’t hesitate and immediately asked, “If that’s the case, Leping probably isn’t so peaceful after all. Qiao Hou was granted a marquis title for subduing the Yellow Turbans, and if I were a Yellow Turban, I’d surely see Qiao Hou as a thorn in my side. Should I… should I mention this to Your Majesty and suggest picking another place?”
Especially since he thought about having the former Grand Commandant Qiao Xuan, who was sending the body in a carriage, in their midst, he felt a heavy pressure.
If thieves showed up, he absolutely couldn’t let anything happen to the corpse, or he’d be failing his duty as the escort.
From Qiao Yan’s unseen angle, Bao Hong clenched his fists tighter; the summer heat was definitely getting to him, making him sweat on his back.
Suddenly realizing that the road they were taking and their destination might still be influenced by those not fully eliminated Yellow Turbans, even though Bao Hong was more of a doer compared to Chunyu Qiong, he found the situation quite tricky.
To make matters worse, he had remained in Luoyang until now and had no clue about the combat capability of these Yellow Turbans.
To make things even more contradictory, the news he received was all over the place.
There were reports of the Yellow Turbans repelling Zhu Jun’s advanced troops, showcasing ferocity no ordinary troops could compare to, forcing them to withdraw to Changshe.
At the same time, there were tales of a mere child, Qiao Yan, being able to quell the chaos across multiple regions, as if the Yellow Turbans were made of paper.
This chaotic depiction of combat capabilities left Bao Hong feeling bewildered.
So when he saw Qiao Yan coldly reply “impossible,” he instinctively fell into her rhythm.
“Your Majesty’s granting me the marquis title is a great grace, how could I let His Majesty change his mind on a whim? This matter must not be mentioned,” Qiao Yan continued, “besides, General Bao doesn’t need to be so wary of these young bandits. Once the faith of the Yellow Turbans scatters, their followers will naturally decrease significantly. Once His Majesty grants an amnesty, people’s hearts will change, and more will disperse.”
“Furthermore, the land of Shangdang and Leping is fertile and rarely suffers disasters. If these bandits were to attack, the common folk wouldn’t rashly join them; instead, they’d fight to protect their homes. My marquis title doesn’t put me in a predicament surrounded by wolves.”
In fact, as Qiao Yan pointed out, the active Yellow Turbans in the Taihang Mountains were nowhere near the state of the later Black Mountain Bandits.
This group was still in its infancy and, due to internal faith crises, had already lost some members; they couldn’t even muster their so-called tens of thousands.
And knowing that even if they really had ten thousand, if you counted actual combat power, half of that would be reduced.
The situation of this force, combined with the intel Qiao Yan previously received in Ji Province and the historical context of how the Black Mountain Bandits hid and developed within the Taihang Mountains, allowed her to make a judgment when she left Luoyang.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have extended the invitation for Cai Yong and Cai Zhaoji to join her to Leping.
Because she had a clear understanding of it in her heart.
However, much of what she knew couldn’t be revealed in her exchange with Bao Hong; the names of the leaders of the Yellow Turbans in the Taihang Mountains were Zhang Niujiao and Chu Yan. After Zhang Niujiao’s death, Chu Yan even changed his surname to Zhang, becoming Zhang Yan, and received the title of Middle General when he supported troops in Taihang against Si Prefecture under Liu Hong’s command.
This was far more impressive than Bao Hong’s future status as one of the Eight Commandants of Xiyuan.
What she said was, “General Bao needn’t worry; I would never joke with my grandfather’s remains. We’ll avoid the Yellow Turbans for now and, once we reach Leping, I will have my own plans.”
Bao Hong thought about Qiao Yan’s prior actions, and she’d indeed never made any wrong decisions.
Though it was widely rumored in the capital that she infiltrated the Yellow Turban camp to act as some sort of strategist, which was admittedly quite risky, it couldn’t be denied that her careful plotting led to a result that did ease the minds of the noble families in the capital.
So it seemed that given the Yellow Turban remnants had already lost their Great Virtuous Teacher, dealing with them shouldn’t be too difficult.
He asked, “So according to Qiao Hou, we’re taking a different route to Leping?”
“Exactly,” Qiao Yan pointed to the first pass in the Taihang Eighth Pass, which was the Zhi Pass, and said, “We’ll go this way, detour to Linfen in River East County, follow the Shan River Valley northwards until we reach Taiyuan, and then head east to Leping.”
Seeing Bao Hong’s face still show signs of doubt, Qiao Yan added, “General Bao, rest assured; while there were Yellow Turban bandits in River East County, the local noble families have sent troops and nearly quelled them, making Linfen far safer than the unknown Black Mountain Bandits in the mountains.”
Bao Hong thought about it and found Qiao Yan’s reasoning sound. He clasped his hands in return and said, “Alright, we’ll follow Qiao Hou’s proposal and take the Zhi Pass.”
With the route changed, Bao Hong needed to inform the two centurions in his camp.
He promptly exited the military tent, leaving Cheng Li still there.
Cheng Li then observed Qiao Yan’s finger gently tracing along the Taihang Mountains, finally resting on the well between Leping and Zhen Ding.
From his judgment, the expression on Qiao Yan’s face did not reflect concern for Leping’s safety; instead, it seemed filled with confidence and possibly scheming thoughts.
Cheng Li promptly realized that some thoughts he originally had about the origins of the Black Mountain Bandits probably didn’t need to be shared with Qiao Yan.
He bowed his hands and swiftly left the space.
With the marching route settled, Qiao Yan finally stowed away the newly drawn map, spreading it flat on the military bed.
Thinking about the different journey ahead, right before sleeping she checked the system panel once more for reassurance.
Counting her time since crossing over to this chaotic late Han period, it had already been over three months.
Compared to the day she awoke amidst the corpses, while her panel data couldn’t be said to have undergone earth-shattering changes, it was indeed markedly better than before.
【Name: Qiao Yan】
【Faction: Han (Initial Faction)】
【Profession: Strategist (System Set)】
【Age: 10】
【Physique: 62 (100), Martial Power: 20 (100), Intelligence: 80 (100), Luck: 65 (?)】
【Remaining Allocatable Points: 0】
【Skills: History lv7, Eloquence lv7, Artifact Identification lv4, Horse Riding lv3, Painting lv3, Calligraphy lv4, Field Archaeology lv5, Ancient Currency Studies lv3…】
【Remaining Allocatable Skill Points: 5】
【Strategist Points: 100】 (Every 10 strategist points earned automatically grants 3 allocatable attribute points and 1 skill allocatable point)
【Unlocked Functions: Check-in, 3D Map】
This is her current data.
She had poured all her initial allocatable points into her physique value, gained by earning strategist points; her check-in had also added a point, bringing her to a passing score.
The slight increase in her martial power came from her investing skill points in horse riding, coupled with the minor boost in physique.
Regarding allocatable skill points, she had leveled Eloquence by 3 and Horse Riding by 3, while the remaining 5 allocatable points she planned to hold onto for now.
What puzzled her was the change in her intelligence value.
From initially 79 to 80, she couldn’t quite figure out when it had occurred, as she hadn’t been paying attention to the value panel.
【You increased it when you defeated Yang Xiu…】 the system quietly explained.
It felt like an odd coincidence that Qiao Yan was starting to lose the touch of a strategist.
However, her skill panel blatantly reflected her background work in historical archaeology prior to crossing over.
In this context, attempting to establish a stable territory for Cai Yong to complete the Eastern History of the Han was akin to a mission fueled by faith.
The system hesitated for a moment before dismissing its doubts, addressing Qiao Yan’s questions.
“You mean, if you defeat someone historically regarded as wise, you could increase your intelligence attribute points?” Qiao Yan inquired.
【Not really, if that were the case, your intelligence points would have increased when you countered Zhang Jiao.】 The system replied, 【To be precise, when you consistently demonstrate intelligence beyond the evaluative threshold expected, the system will periodically self-correct.】
“……”
… the difference between 79 and 80 seemed merely cosmetic.
Whether or not it needed fixing didn’t seem to matter.
Thankfully, Qiao Yan truly wasn’t too concerned about such issues.
At the end of the day, amidst all these values, she was more focused on her shortcomings rather than what was temporarily adequate.
Moreover, she had allies like Lu Yuan and Cheng Li to share the burdens with her, whose seemingly lower stats didn’t pose any pressing issues.
What Qiao Yan did not anticipate was an unexpectedly “smart” addition to her team.
The Zhi Pass truly lived up to its reputation as a perilous route within the Taihang Mountains; while the cart troupe navigated through, the narrowest points almost got one of their vehicles stuck.
At one ascending section, it required someone’s careful lifting to manage the cart.
Even so, with the bumpy ride, a loud thump echoed from the cart carrying the corpse.
Fearing for Grand Commandant Qiao Xuan’s coffin, Qiao Yan quickly instructed to open the cart’s door after navigating through the steep slope to check inside, only to pull out a living person.
Yang Xiu, emerging with a hefty bundle, truly surprised Qiao Yan!
She furrowed her brows and immediately asked, “What are you doing here?”
Yang Xiu wasn’t someone she could easily recruit like Cheng Li.
After all, he was the grandson of Grand Commandant Yang Ci, and his father Yang Biao had also held the Grand Commandant position. Being the heir to the Hongnong Yang clan, how could he casually join her party heading to Leping?
Upon asking, Qiao Yan noticed a rather guilty look on Yang Xiu’s face.
It was pretty clear—he had left the capital without informing his grandfather or any family members; he must have snuck away!
Yang Xiu stiffened his neck and replied, “W-why can’t I be here?”
“As the saying goes, ‘In a group of three, one must have a teacher.’ I have lost to you, so you must have something to teach me. I’m merely here to learn, what’s the problem?”
Yang Xiu believed his reasoning was quite sound, laying out the books he had brought along from his bundle, making Qiao Yan’s eyelids twitch.
He added, “I even brought the rite to acknowledge a teacher!”
A sideways glance at Bao Hong showed him equally shocked.
Perhaps he realized, in addition to the responsibility he held for Qiao Yan and Qiao Xuan, now he had an unexpected Yang Xiu, causing him to feel a bit overwhelmed.
Bao Hong was almost scared to death by Yang Xiu’s sudden appearance.
If they had discovered him before entering the Taihang Mountains or before parting ways with the Northern Army, it would have been easier.
But now that they had traversed most of the Zhi Pass, turning back was out of the question.
And simply assigning a small troop to escort him back? If anything went wrong on the way, Bao Hong couldn’t take that responsibility.
Even more crucially, since Qiao Yan had mentioned the presence of Black Mountain Bandits, Bao Hong was reluctant to part with anyone.
If the Black Mountain Bandits unexpectedly attacked after reaching Leping, having one more person could make all the difference.
As he thought this, he noticed Yang Xiu eyeing him, as if seeing through his unwillingness, raising his voice, “I heard your conversations in the cart! You can’t spare anyone to send me back!”
“At most… at most you’ll just have to take me back with you when you return to Luoyang after delivering Qiao Gong and Qiao Hou to Leping.”
Yang Xiu’s words seemed like a compromise, but to Qiao Yan, his overly clever eyes were filled with ulterior motives.
Right now he could use the excuse that he’d return with Bao Hong, but then what?
After that, he could surely find a new excuse to stay.
Qiao Yan’s head felt heavy.
If Yang Xiu were a bit older, it wouldn’t matter since sneaking into a cart was his choice, and he’d naturally have to take responsibility for his actions.
But considering he was only nine years old…
It was the age where if one thought about running away, it would likely stem from a desire to prove oneself.
And why did he feel that way? It was surely because of their previous duel before Dingzhong Temple.
Just the thought of it made Qiao Yan realize she would be left holding the bag.
But if it were worth it to take the blame, it would be fine; however, what good was Yang Xiu?
Was she supposed to use Yang Xiu to influence Grand Commandant Yang?
“When did you sneak into the cart?” Qiao Yan asked.
Upon hearing Qiao Yan, Yang Xiu noticed it might be a sign she was softening up, quickly replying, “June 23rd.”
June 23rd, the day before Qiao Yan and the others set off.
Since it had already been over two days from when they left the capital to now, Yang Xiu had been hiding in the cart amidst corpses for nearly three days, with only a bit of food to sustain him—it took some skill to endure that.
But no matter how skilled he was, he was likely at his limit by now.
Qiao Yan considered Cai Zhaoji’s age, then looked at Yang Xiu, contemplating the feasibility of nurturing another potential talent.
However, based on historical evaluation, Yang Xiu’s political awareness was abysmal enough to be paired with Cai Yong as an almost sibling pairing. To turn that around, she would undoubtedly have to exert considerable effort.
She rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit helpless.
After thinking for a bit, she replied, “When we reach Taiyuan County, I will give you two choices.”
“First, I can send you back without needing General Bao’s assistance. I can simply find the Prefect of Taiyuan and have him send someone to guide you back, after all, this shame of leaving home without informing your parents isn’t something I need to shoulder.”
“I’m not going back!” Yang Xiu shot back without a second thought, then quietly added, “I left a letter before leaving.”
It was cleverly concealed.
Otherwise, when Qiao Yan’s party left Luoyang, Yang Ci’s secret search wouldn’t have missed him.
“Then there’s only the second option left,” Qiao Yan pointed to Dian Wei.
On Dian Wei’s back was gold given to her by Tian Tao as a thank you when they were in Puyang.
After calculating the 60 silk bolts into gold, it totaled 26 pounds of gold.
She said to Yang Xiu, “This 26 pounds of gold could exchange for ten thousand stones of millet at market price. If you can swap it for more quantity locally in Taiyuan while adhering to the rules, then you can tag along.”
With a stern gaze, Qiao Yan then added a question that felt somewhat like prodding, “Yang Xiu, do you want to give it a try?”
